Theftproof merchandise display having multiple tiers with sequential operating means

ABSTRACT

A merchandise display device having a plurality of tiers for supporting merchandise, each tier comprising a pair of vertically spaced support members for holding merchandise therebetween, the support members of each set of tiers being separable to release the merchandise. Means are provided for sequentially locking and unlocking the tiers and this means includes a single lever by means of which the operation of the tiers can be readily accomplished.

0 United States Patent 1 3,583,568

[72] Inventor Louis John Crosslen [56] R fe n Cited 1 N 53%;; UNITED STATES PATENTS f Jun 10 1969 2,244,100 6/1941 Cole 74 105x Pmemed June 8,197 3,517,827 6/1970 Crosslen etal. 211/163 73] Assignee Frank Mayer & Associates, Inc. Primary Examiner-Ramon S. Britts Grafton, Wis. Attorney-James E. Nilles [54] THEFIPROOF MERCHANDISE DISPLAY HAVING MULTIPLE TIERS WITH SEQUENTIAL OPERATING MEANS 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 211/8, ABSTRACT: A merchandise display device having a plurality 40/104.18,2l1/163 of tiers for supporting merchandise, each tier comprising a [51] Int. Cl A47f 5/02, pair of vertically spaced support members for holding B42f 13/14, EOSb 73/00 merchandise therebetween, the support members of each set [50] Field of Search 21 1/165, of tiers being separable to release the merchandise. Means are provided for sequentially locking and unlocking the tiers and this means includes a single lever by means of which the operation of the tiers can be readily accomplished.

THEFTPROOF MERCHANDISE DISPLAY HAVING MULTIPLE TIERS WITH SEQUENTIAL OPERATING MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to merchandise display mechanism, commonly referred to as changeable exhibitors, and is of the rotatable drum type having a plurality of drums or tiers for displaying merchandise. These tiers which may be of the revolving or stationary type, have spaced support members which can be separated to release the merchandise from between the support members.

Prior art devices have been proposed and used with considerable success and in which springs are used to resiliently urge the support members apart in order to release the merchandise. After the merchandise has been released or replaced, and it is desired to again close the support members together to lock the merchandise therein, it is necessary to compress the springs and lock them into position. lfa number of tiers are used in such a display device, it becomes an extremely difficult task to compress all of the springs. Furthermore, the separation of the various tiers are not in any particular order, but instead they are all released or locked at the same time.

An example of the prior art type of device over which the present invention is an improvement, is shown in the copending U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 730,454, filed May 20, I968 and entitled Theftproof Merchandise Display" which issued on June 30, I970 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,517,827.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a theftproof merchandise display device having a plurality of tiers for supporting merchandise, each tier comprising a pair of spaced support members which are separable to release the merchandise which is held therebetween. More specifically, the present invention provides a device of this type which has a single operating means for opening and closing the tiers, such opening and closing being performed in a sequential manner as regards the various tiers.

The tiers may be mounted for rotation around a shaft and are each comprised of a pair of spaced support members, the support members being connected to one another by means of sliding connections which act to convey the lifting force of the single lever from one tier to the next. In this manner, a single operating lever can be swung to sequentially open each tier of display merchandise. In order to close the tiers, it is simply necessary to swing the lever in another direction.

The tiers may be stacked in any position, that is, about a vertical or horizontal shaft. Furthermore, the tiers can be of any shape, such as round, rectangular or straight barlike members.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinafter as this disclosure progresses, reference being made to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a display device embodying the present invention, certain portions being shown as broken away and in section for clarity in the drawing;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the device shown in FIG. 1, but showing the operating mechanism moved to a position in which the upper tier is separated;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, but showing the operating means swung to a still further position so as to release the two uppermost tiers of merchandise;

FIG. 4 is a very similar to the other figures but showing the operating means swung still further so as to release all three tiers; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, elevational view taken generally along line 5-5 in FIG. 1 showing the operating mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention has been shown for illustrative purposes as being of the type having revolvable tiers arranged about a vertical support shaft.

The display device made in accordance with the present invention can be located in any area ofa store and may include a base I suitably supported on a countertop or on the floor. A vertical support shaft 2 is thrcadably engaged at its lower end in the base.

A plurality of tiers T1, T2 and T3 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 2. Each tier is comprised ofa pair of vertically spaced support members. For example tier TI is comprised of an upper support member 4 and a lower support member 5, tier T2 is comprised of an upper support member 6 and a lower support member 7, while tier T3 is comprised of an upper support member 8 and a lower support member 9. These support members have cooperable means for releasably supporting merchandise I0 therebetween. More specifically, the upper support members have downwardly extending spindles I2 while the lower support members have upwardly extending spindles I3. The spindles I2 and 13 of each tier are axially aligned and oppose one another and can receive aligned apertures I5 ofthe merchandise 10.

The support members of each tier are vertically separable as indicated in the FIGS. so as to be able to remove the merchandise 10 from the pairs of opposed spindles.

Each tier also has interengaging means whereby limited vertical separation of the support members of the tiers can occur. For this purpose the lower support member of each tier has upwardly extending posts 20 each of which have a reduced upper end 20a. The reduced upper end slideably engages a corresponding and aligned hole 22 in the upper support member. A snap ring 23 is located at the upper end of the reduced portion and in this manner the upper support member can slide on the reduced portion within limits determined by the lower shoulder of the post 20 and the snap ring 23. Thus, slideable connections are provided between the support members of each tier. The construction and operation of the posts 20 and also of the spindles and support members are fully described in my said copending application Ser. No. 730,454 and further reference to that application may be had if additional comment relative to these members is either thought to be necessary or desirable.

It will be noted that the support members of adjacent tiers are fixed together by means of a central bushing or sleeve 30 (FIGURE 1 on shaft 2 and the snap rings 31 and 32 which engage the sleeve and the lower and upper support members, respectively. For example, support members 5 and 6 are secured together by the sleeve 30 and snap rings 31 and 32, and the other adjacent support members 7 and 8 of adjacent tiers T2 and T3 are similarly secured together.

The uppermost support member 4 of the upper tier is rotatable by its hub 39 on the bushing 40 mounted on the shaft 2. A snap ring 42 fixes hub 39 to bushing 40. An antifriction bearing assembly 41, having upper and lower races, is located on top of hub 39. An L-shaped collar 44 is fixed on top of bearing assembly 41 by a snap ring 45 on shaft 2. Thus, the member 4 is fixed on bushing 40 and can slide therewith on shaft 2, when a shiftable means, to be described, is actuated.

Shiftable means M are provided above the uppermost tier and is supported on the central shaft for shifting relative thereto, as follows. An L-shaped bracket 62 is rigidly secured to the upper end of shaft 2 and a lever 64 is oscillatably mounted at the pivot point 65 to the bracket 62. The lever 64 is formed as a bellcrank having a shorter arm 64a to which a link 66 is connected at one end. The other end of the link 66 is connected to the collar 44 by rivet 67.

Thus, the link 66 forms a connecting means between the shiftable lever means and the endmost support member for vertically positioning the latter upon shifting of the shiftable lever. Thus, the endmost member is raised by the swinging movement of the lever from the position shown in FIGURE 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2. This limited movement olthe lever serves to only raise the uppermost support member 4, thus separating the support members of the upper tier only. At this time the merchandise can be removed and replaced from the upper tier.

Continued swinging movement of the lever 64, from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3, causes the combined support members and 6 to also be raised due to the fact that the post means between support members 4 and 5 has been fully extended to a point where the snap ring 23 on post means 20 is engaged by the upper support member 4. Thus the upper support member 4 carries along with it the two connected support members 5 and 6. This action causes separation of member 6 from the lower support member 7 of tier T2. Thus, the second tier is opened for releasing the merchandise.

Continued movement of the lever from the H6. 3 position to the HO. 4 position, similarly causes the combined support members 7 and 8 to raise due to the snap ring 23 engaging the support member 7 and carrying along with it the support member 8. Thus, the third tier T3 is opened to release the merchandise.

To reassemble and lock the unit, after the merchandise in the tier T3 has been assembled, the lever is swung downwardly so as to close the lower tier. Then the merchandise in the tier T3 can be inserted and continued swinging movement of the lever in the opposite direction then closes tier T2. The swinging of lever 64 is continued for closing tier Tl.

With the present invention, there are no springs to overcome in order to close the various tiers and a good mechanical advantage is provided with the lever so as to make opening and closing of the tiers an easy matter. The particular arrangement also provides an orderly manner for sequential operation ofthe tiers.

lclaim:

l. A theftproof merchandise display comprising a vertical support shaft, a plurality of tiers rotatably mounted on said support shaft and for supporting merchandise, each tier comprising a pair of vertically spaced. support members having coopcrable means for releasably supporting merchandise between said members, the support members of adjacent tiers being fixed together, interengaging means between the support members of each tier for permitting limited relative separation therebetween, shiftable means supported above said tiers and on said support shaft, and connecting means between said shiftable means and the uppermost support member for vertically positioning the latter upon shifting movement of said shiftable means, whereby when said uppermost support member is raised by said shiftable means, said interengaging means causes said tiers to be sequentially opened by separation of the support members thereof.

2. The display as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said shiftable means comprises, a lever pivotally mounted on the upper end of said vertical support shaft and said connecting means includes a link between said lever and said uppermost support member, thereby said uppermost support member can be positively shifted in either vertical direction. 

1. A theftproof merchandise display comprising a vertical support shaft, a plurality of tiers rotatably mounted on said support shaft and for supporting merchandise, each tier comprising a pair of vertically spaced support members having cooperable means for releasably supporting merchandise between said members, the support members of adjacent tiers being fixed together, interengaging means between the support members of each tier for permitting limited relative separation therebetween, shiftable means supported above said tiers and on said support shaft, and connecting means between said shiftable means and the uppermost support member for vertically positioning the latter upon shifting movement of said shiftable means, whereby when said uppermost support member is raised by said shiftable means, said interengaging means causes said tiers to be sequentially opened by separation of the support members thereof.
 2. The display as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said shiftable means comprises, a lever pivotally mounted on the upper end of said vertical support shaft and said connecting means includes a link between said lever and said uppermost support member, thereby said uppermost support member can be positively shifted in either vertical direction. 